I'm not ready to do this, yet. firstof all,I need to make a few more kilts. I have enough light gray tartan to make a machine-sewn 6- yarder and then I'll do the X Marks kilt by hand ,and then maybe I'll bang out another machine-sewn tartan kilt and THEN I wil know if I've got it in me to really do this.

But I'm *THINKING*..... about doing a half-time kilt-making business.

Every business has to have a niche, and I don't want to compete with the guys on this board who've supported me so much so...

No PV kilts, not poly/cotton, no acrylic...
No "contemporary" kilts, except possibly black and charcoal
No leather kilts, or hemp
No box-pleated kilts
No four-yard kilts

What would I do?

I'd specialize in USA regional tartan kilts, particularly California, Oregon and Washington State Tartans, but stocking other states tartans as well, and the USA tartan. They'd be:

5-6 yard
machine-sewn,
hand pleated sett/stripe as the buyer requests
lined with cottom

They'd be 13 ounce wool, or wool-polyester blend if the tartan is available..

Price for a 6-yard mostly-machine sewn, to your measurements would be right around $300 or a bit less for wool, and $250 for wool/poly. Five yarders would be about $250 for wool $220 for wool/poly. Hand-sewn 6 yard kilts would be around $450, but I doubt I'll sell many of those, since that's what you'd pay for an 8 yard kilt online, from Scotland.

I wouldn't have a retail store, this would get run out of the most basic, 200 square foot, cheap workshop I could find, locally. I wouldn't make a big to-do over this. No Pay Pal, for example. I'd just have a simple website with a mail-in form, and have a booth at the local games. And of course I'd advertise on X Marks!

I think I can handle 2-3 kilts a week working half time, once I get in practice. By my estimate, that will bring in around $1600 a month, above the cost of the fabric if I can stay busy. I'm guessing that I'll be sewing four hours a day and answering e-mail or working on the web site or packaging up stuff or paying bills another hour a day.

Startup costs are probably in the $3,000 range, for a refurbed industrial sewing machine, a stock of Californa, Oregon and Washington tartan, and some furniture like a pleating table. I think I can get space around here for about $300 a month. I'd do it out of my house if I could, but I don't have the room. I can do the website in my sleep. I'd keep my waiting list down to under 60 days...I simply wouldn't take orders any further out than that.

OK, what do you all think? You think I can actually get orders for ten kilts a month at those prices, in that niche market, with that wait time?